Day 6: Faces, Found Poetry, Chiasmus

Before we learn how to read words, we learn, intuitively, to read faces. In today’s poem, take a single face or a multitude of them as your point of departure.

It doesn’t even have to be a real-life, flesh-and-blood face you’re writing about. Faces are ubiquitous in the texture of our daily lives, after all, from portraits in the museum and the banknotes in our wallets to billboards and street art and online profile pictures.

I almost skipped this assignment because work’s very busy and the topic’s really hard.

Maps tell stories — about places we know and others we wish to visit, about technology and the speed with which we can traverse vast distances, and about the things we’ll see (or avoid) on our way from point A to point B.

Whether you choose to write about an actual map, an imaginary one, or just about a particular route that means something special to you, make today’s poem about a space you inhabit (or wish to. Or would rather avoid).

After I read the assignment for today, I dig into my brain to look for inspiration.

I usually listen to music while I give the assignment some thoughts. “What kind of map should I include? To whom or to what should I write an ode for?”

Then it hit me. Words just flow through me as I compose this post while listening to the song that I embed.

It felt surreal to translate into words an ode to HIM who holds my map.

It felt right to give him back the honour He deserves.

It felt good to look back how HE picked me up when I am at my life’s lowest.

We find faults in ourselves, in others, and in the world around us all the time. We may accept these imperfections or complain about them, try to fix them or celebrate them — whatever our attitude may be, they add friction and texture to our lives.

Today, write a poem about the imperfect nature of someone or something.

So I was again intimidated by these unknown terms, LIMERICK and ENJAMBMENT!

I am glad, though, to write, for the FIRST TIME, a poem with these intimidating Poetry terms. 🙂

Our skin often announces (correctly or not) our age and ethnicity, tells stories of injuries, operations, and accidents, and conveys to our brain everything from the pain of a slap to the warmth of a hug.

Skins aren’t only a human thing: they protect animals, fruit, cheese, and more. For today’s poem, choose whatever meaning of “skin” speaks to you the most.

I never thought that I can tell a fictional story through poetry. Not until I have read some awesome poems from some of the great poets from Writing 201: Poetry class.

So inspired by your very well-written posts, I humbly present this another FIRST prose poem from yours truly.

There’s a whole array of sensations and emotions attached to gifts, whether you’re the gifter or the giftee. The tension between packaging and contents, the joy of tearing through layers of wrapping, the surprise or disappointment of discovery once you know what’s inside.

Today, write something about a gift.

I know this is beyond this course but I am now asking you guys to give me the most precious gift, prayer, as my mom is currently at the hospital. 😦